Firm wants transparency in setting internet prices in PNG

Speaking on a panel discussion during the Innovation PNG 2019 conference on Friday, Ramamurthy said PNG Dataco Ltd should put on their website what price they were going to offer to internet service providers (ISP) and retail service providers.
“Whether it’s one of the 30 ISPs that are registered with Nicta (National Information Communication Technology Authority) or the two major operators, there has to be complete and utter pricing transparency so that there is no backroom deal being done somewhere,” he said.
“If we have the new cables that are coming into the country and ready to be used in two months and you don’t know what the price is, how is your ISP going to tell you what your price is?
“The regulator can set a price and the regulator will probably set an expensive price.
“But at the end of the day, PNG market is a little bit skewed in the essence that retail competition is the only way that you are going to get the price dropped at the market.”
Nicta chief executive officer Charles Punaha said as the regulator, they (Nicta) would set a price that is non-discriminatory and competitive.
Punaha said the public inquiry currently undertaken was looking at specific pricing principle.